The Portland daily press., 1887-01-29
The Labor Committee Give Hearing
to Those Interested.
Interesting Arguments for ane
Against the Looney Bill.
Especial to the Press.)


Especial to the Press.)
AUGUSTA, Jan. 2S
There was remarkable scene in the
II ouse of Representatives this afternoon,
scene entirely different from anything eyel
witnessed in that hall before The labor
committee sat with three bills to regulate
the burs of labor before them, and listened
to th,arguments of the representatives OF
labor u the one side, and of capital on the
other. The cotton mills of the State sent an
able laver, who twenty-five years ago be.
gan lifes boy laborer in a cotton mill Of
Maine; te order of the Knights of Labor
sent five lcked men, representative of vari-
GUS indusries, lumbermens from Hancock
county, graite workers from Hallowell. and
mechanics rom the Androscoggin and the
Saco, Thei was one large manufacturer of
wo0lens thei; but capital was far less nu-
merously reresented than labor. For on
the side Of lsor there were, besides the en-
voys OF the Rights of Labor, well known
teacher and seeral lawyers; although more
than once tn Knights openly expressed
their contemptDr the whole legal profession
| Spectators in thgalleries and on the floor of
the House founabundant occasions for ap-
plause.
The Knights oLabor opened the hearing
with an argumenfor the Heath bill, which
includes men as WI as women and children.
in the class that my not work more than ten
hours. The delegaon consisted of J. Sher
man Douglass of B' Harbor, c. w. Shaw
of Lewiston, J. A. ickery of North Pow
nal, Z. M. Blckford2f Auburn and G. Z.
Halliday of Saccarasa.
For the cotton mafacturers, ]. B. Cotton
Esq, of Lewiston, ;peared He came to
antag0niZe neither thKnights of Labar nor
any reasonable bill, ar his candid argument
had great effect in selrIng good win and
good understanding. hthought the Looney
bill the only one that,ould become law
with safety, but gave hi reasons for three
changes which the c0ttomanufa eturers felt
ought to be made in thisill. The law ought
to allow employees to yolitarily begin work
ten minutes before the Tie fixed for start
chinery has to be tned on grad
ually. The clause Of q Looney bin
which leaves to the empltr only the COM
mon law remedy of his emlye leaves with
out notice, Mr.. Cotton woul have changed
so that the employe may cohact to give a
weeks notice before leavinlAhe employee to
forfeit weeks wageslif he leaves
employer to pay wess wages If
he discharges the empie with, mt
suitable notice. Mr.. CottoIhlso thought
that the Commissioner of Lafyprovided for
in the Looney bill should alsce the collec-
tor Of statistics, obviating tlnecessity of
an additional expense for buau Of labor
statistics. He also thought tina the act if
passed should not take effect ull July 1st
next.
f. X. Belleau, bright young ,ench law
yer from Lewiston next spoke. Re favored
the Looney bill, supporting his lew with
the novel argument that the An I ms are
fast decreasing in numbers, while tF'-ench
and Irish are increasing, and thu ofore
the rising generation of foreigners ialu be
kept out of the mills in order that, " NAV
get the education needed to fit thtdto be-
come the supporters of the State. he half
or more of the voters of Lewiston W. for
eigneIs, he said, and in taking the cehs he
had found children of13 or IA years4f age
who had already been five or six yearsork-
ing in the mills.
Rev. Mr.. Littlefeld wanted the Legisnre
to be sure that truant law should be Lsed
to keep in school the children let out che
mills.
Representative Noble, of Lewiston, usd
the Looney bill in a brief but enersic |
speech, and then Superintendent of Seh,s
sumption that pledges had been given to-
peal the trustee process and imprisonme
for debt. as well as the passage Of a ten-ho,
BILL called forth a vigorous protest fr0.l
Senator Lumbert, who helped frame the Rd
publican platform, and knew What ne wa
statement had the effect of putting an end Il
the talk that such and such things must bl
done" Mr.. Stetson made an interesting
argument in favor of legislation to relieve
the young laborers from their degrading pc
sitions. he spoke from experience gained IL
Ex-Councillor Ernest NJ. Goodall. of tn,
Sanford mills, advocated such law as woult
allow no child under ten years of age, Il
work at all; and from ten to fifteen only OF
half time, that is half a day at work and hal
day at school, At Sanford they had useC
this 'half time" system, the corporation hir
ing teacher when the other schools W wer'
not in session. All last winter they furnish
ed such a school for their young help.
The committee have taken no action yet
but they will probably report the Looney
bill, perhaps with a few slight changes. Al
favoring the Heath bill, that measure los
ground as the debate progressed. In the
whole Legislature it is safe to say that the
Looney bill is the only one that can pass
Although the District Assembly of Knight:
of Labor endorsed the Heath bill, prom
inent Portland Knight told me that the Cum
berland and York delegates were not for it
but heartily in favor of the Looney measure
The saw mill delegates from the East were
the most vigorous supporters of the Heatf
bill, as they thought it might relieve them
They could not see the logic OF an argument
that maintained the unc0nstitutlonality of ;
measure to prevent a mans contracting t
work as many hours as he pleases.
Wants IA More Perfect Assessment
of Taxes.
A very important measure now before Thu
Legislature is the ibill called House Docu
ment No 80. entitled ''An act to provide fo
the more perfect assessment of taxes" Mr.
Clifford, of Auburn, is the author of the bill
and it will be considered by the judiciar.
committee. 1t has been drawn with grea
care Judge Savage, Of Auburn, being cred
tied with share in the work, The object o
the bill is to do away with the secretion O.
property which is carried ON to such an ex
tent at present; and very elaborate provis
ions are made to ascertain the exact amoun
of a mans property, after eliminating hi
debts and other obligations. "The Secretar.
of State shall annually" begins the first see
tion, son or before the first day of March
furnish at the expense Of the State. to thu
several town, city and plantation clerks
blank inventories. with suitabl,
interrogatories, to contain when filled a full
statement Of all taxable property, real anC
personal, of each town, city or plantation.
These blanks "shall be so formulated by tn,
Secretary of State as to require under oath
from each person and corporation, such full
information as to each class and item of hi
taxable property, real and personal, as vii
enable the assessors, after personal.examin
alton of such property, to appraise it at it
value in money"
The blanks also contain an interrogation!
for a statement of the cash on hand, ant
debts due or to become due from solven
debtors secured or unsecured, including de
posts in any bank, or in any savings sNl bank K
which are not exempted by law from taxation
in this State or elsewhere; an interrogation!
for statement of debts due. or to becomi
due to him from insolvent debtors; an inter
rogatory for the statement by each tax-paye
claiming deduction for debts owing by him